Services
Esther is a dual qualified Occupational Therapist and Orientation and Mobility Instructor. She is currently offering community based Occupational Therapy and Orientation and Mobility services to children of all ages in the Adelaide Hills.
​​
Esther is passionate about providing evidence based early intervention services. We know that children learn best in their natural environments with familiar people. Therefore where beneficial, Esther uses a routines based approach to support therapy opportunities to be embedded in everyday activities. For example, when working towards developing fine motor skills, a routines based approach involves identifying opportunities throughout everyday life where fine motor skills can be practiced in a functional and fun way that is meaningful to the child. This may include supporting independence while getting dressed or enriching bath time through fine motor play activities.
​
Esther provides therapy in home, school and community settings, working collaboratively with the child, their family, educators and other service providers to ensure the best outcomes for the child are achieved.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy (OT) involves supporting people to engage in everyday activities to promote health and wellbeing. With children this includes:
-
self-care - sleep, toileting, dressing
-
productivity - attention, sensory regulation, handwriting
-
social participation - emotional regulation, social skills
-
play and leisure - imaginary play
-
development of fine and gross motor skills
Esther uses child and family strengths as a foundation to intervention, working together with key people in the child's life to develop individualised and flexible supports to achieve therapy goals.
Orientation and Mobility
Orientation and Mobility (O&M) involves supporting people who are blind or have vision impairment to develop the necessary skills to travel independently. That is having the skills to know where they are, where they want to go and how to get there safely.
​
O&M with children aims to support children and their family to:
-
explore and understand their functional vision as it relates to mobility
-
develop foundational concepts and compensatory techniques (e.g. body awareness, spatial awareness, independent travel skills)
-
explore and support skill development in equipment such as long canes
-
support smooth transitions into new environments (e.g. environmental assessments, education to providers/educators)